Benjamin Emery

PRT Portfolio
November 29, 2013

Ben Emery
146 S McClelland Street
Salt Lake City, UT 84102
603-748-2714
emery.ben21@gmail.com

April 16, 2013

SkiUtah
150 West 500 South
Salt Lake City, UT 84101
To Whom It May Concern,
I am writing to express my interest in a marketing internship at your company. I
am currently employed at GearRush, an outdoor sports consignment store in the
Millcreek area. I am a junior at the University of Utah currently studying Parks,
Recreation & Tourism with a focus on Commercial Recreation Management.
I am exceptionally interested in the ski industry as a career and have held
positions in a variety of aspects of the sport. I am looking to further my
experience in this field and see Ski Utah as the next step.
I come to you with a strong work ethic and a positive attitude. I have worked in
both team and individual settings and believe that you will find me a responsible
and dependable worker. I have experience in shipping, sales, inventory
management, and customer service. Further explanation of my skills and abilities
can be found on my attached resume.
I would appreciate the opportunity to meet with you to discuss my qualifications
and the possibility of joining your organization. Thank you for your time and I look
forward to hearing from you.
Sincerely,

Ben Emery

Benjamin S. Emery
480 S Douglas St.

Salt Lake City, Utah

603-748-2714

84102

emery.ben21@gmail.com

Objective
To gain experience in the outdoor sports industry through work with an innovative
company.
Employment History
Marketing and Public Relations Intern

Sept. 2013 Present

Ski Utah, Salt Lake City, UT

Warehouse and Web Content Management Intern

May 2012-Aug. 2013

Discrete Headwear, Salt Lake City, UT

Photographer/Sales Representative

May 2012- Aug. 2013

Gear Rush LLC, Salt Lake City UT

Listing/Shipping/Photography/Sales
Lift Operator

November 2011-April 2012

Snowbird Ski & Summer Resort, Snowbird UT

Operated lifts and constantly interacted with guests.
Park Ranger

Winters 2009-2011

Mount Sunapee Resort, Newbury NH

Terrain park setup & maintenance, constructed and maintained park elements.
Interacted with guests providing general information and safety oversight.
Operations and Maintenance Worker

Summers 2009-2011

Mount Sunapee Resort, Newbury NH

Various Terrain Park projects including welding, painting and carpentry.

Education
University of Utah Parks, Recreation & Tourism
Sunapee High School

August 2010 - Present

Graduated June 2010

Interests
Snowboarding, Photography, Soccer, Film making

Knowledge & Understanding

Artifact 1

Displayed above is a screenshot of the Events Page at skiutah.com where I

was responsible for organizing events across all of the resorts in Utah and making
professional listings to display them. This meant reaching out to resorts and
scouring the web for content to post and making it original to avoid copyright
infringement. This page and its information is key to the website because many
people plan their trips to Utah based on the timing with local events to get the most
out of their trip. Incorrect information on this page could be detrimental to a trip
planned around a specific event. At any given time there are at least two event
results for each resort, which is coordinated by me weekly to make sure the calendar
is valid and up to date. More can be seen here at Ski Utah Events.

Artifact 2
1. Go to: http://blog.skiutah.com/login
2. Enter Login info (username/password)
3. Once you login, you will be brought to the dashboard, home of all blog posts
on the site. To create a new blog post, click Add Content in the top left
corner.
4. Select Article from the options listed to create a new blog page.
5. Title title displayed for the blog
6. Do not select either of the newsletter/featured post boxes, these are for
administrator use only.
7. Subhead this is a stylized line that will show enlarged at the top of the
article. Used to highlight important text or information, can be left out if
desired.
8. Summary This is the short synopsis that is displayed with the blog post on
the blog feed and gives readers a short glimpse of the blog content. Click the
blue Edit Summary text above the Body entry box.

Add Media

A Summary text box will appear, where you can enter text.
9. Body this is where your main text will be. Entering text is just like in a
word document. To paste in content, use the paste from word icon. Clicking
this will prompt a box where text can be pasted and then inserted into the
document. Tools to insert hyperlinks, pictures and embedded videos can be
found on the toolbar shown in the picture above. Hovering over each icon
will display a description of that tool. To upload a YouTube video, select Web
under Add Media and insert the embed code.

10. Hyperlink if you choose to use a hyperlink in your article, use the
Hyperlink icon to enter in the address the link will go to. After the address is
entered, click the target tab and select new window. This will tell the link to
be opened in a new browser window instead of leaving the blog page.

11. Image This will be the thumbnail picture displayed in the blog feed. Make
this something related to your post. Sizing and instructions are listed below
the upload box.
12. Tags/Categories/Mentioned: For now, please leave these blank as they are
still being tweaked for best results. Brandon will be going through to fill
these out for now.
13. Image Gallery (Type: Large) Multiple images can be uploaded here, where
they will be displayed in a moving gallery at the top of the blog post. If you do
not have a gallery of images to use, select (N/A) to leave the gallery out. It is
highly encouraged to use captions & titles for each picture. Again, sizing and
instructions are listed below the upload box.

14. Options Displayed at the bottom of the page are 6 menus to make a variety
of changes to your post. All options should be left in their defaults except:
a. If you pose a question at the end of your article and want comments
and responses, click open, if not choose closed.

b. After you have chosen your content, select your name as the author of
the post. As you start typing in the name, the form will auto-complete
to find your name. Use your first name such as matt to access
Powderhound Matt. Allow the form time to search your name as you
type to get results. Authored on is the time/date in which you post the
blog.

c.

Finally, under the publishing tab, make sure the Published box is unchecked.

This allows the administrator to review the post before it is posted to the site. After
you have finished your post and saved it, please send Brandon an email to get it
published.

15.

When logging onto the site to make a post, if you didnt log out the last time

you made a post, you might be brought to your profile page on the website. By
clicking the blue Edit Profile text, you will be brought back to the dashboard to
post/edit.

This piece is an instruction manual I created for the bloggers that post
weekly on the blog at skiutah.com. In the early stages of our site, this manual was
crucial for bloggers to navigate and correctly post material to the site. Malfunctions
in posting these articles caused the feed to actually break, making it invisible to
readers who rely on the advice and information posted weekly. Everything from
current weather to fine dining suggestions is posted in the blog, so having this
available to website visitors is a large part of planning a ski trip. I was proud of the
creativity and flow of this document. It was also the first time I have created an
instruction sheet for others to follow in a professional setting, which required me to
step back and assess from multiple perspectives to avoid confusion. Building this
manual required me to be comfortable and confident in my own navigation of the
site and transfer that into the document for others to learn.

Artifact 3

The above image is a screenshot of another function of our website that I

helped to populate with information and media. This is the resource function of the
website, where businesses can buy listings to promote their services on the same
platform as the resorts they rely on. This is a unique feature to skiutah.com because
it links all relevant services and locations based on resorts and other resources. All
information here must be correct and current since each listing ranges from $500$2500 per year. Entering in the information and media was my daily task for the first
month I worked at Ski Utah. There are over 350 of these listings, and more are sold
weekly as local businesses see the benefits of advertising here. More interaction and
examples of these listings can be seen at the Ski Utah Resources page.

Artifact 4
The College Pass Complex
Synopsis: Season passes made affordable for students like you.
Body: Being a college student can be tough on the wallet, and so can a season pass
to most resorts these days. But if youre a student along the Wasatch front, how can
you resist taking a study break to get out into the mountains as they get pummeled
with The Greatest Snow on Earth. Thanks to student clubs and discount programs,
this is a reality, even for you penny pinchers.
Resorts know as students you work hard, and in turn, want you to play hard. Cant
decide on where to ride or who has the best deal for you? Check out these student
hookups to find something that best suits you and your budget.
Alta - $599
Beaver - $360
Brian Head - $369
Brighton - $599
Canyons - $429
Eagle Point - $259
Park City Mountain Resort - $535
Snowbird - $599
Solitude - $549
Sundance - $415
Wolf Mountain - $225
If youre a U student, chances are youve heard of One Love or Utah Freeskier
Society. The popular ski and snowboard clubs get even better rates on your favorite
local resorts and have a variety of perks to add, including movie premieres,
discounts on sponsor gear and more. Not to mention its run by students who share
the same love for winter as you. Membership is cheap, exclusive to U students, and
theyll even submit the pass paperwork to the resort for you! To get the most out of
your winter in Utah, find their booths on campus near the Union building or visit
their websites to learn more.
Westminster students can take advantage of similar deals and events through the
Wesminster Ski & Snowboard Club. Find updates and photos of events on their
Facebook page. Membership is free this year, just remember to get your pass forms
in soon as deadlines are looming.
What are you most excited for this coming season?
Did we miss your school? Check the links below to see what your clubs offer:
Utah State University Ski Club
BYU Freeride Academy

The previous page is an article I wrote for the blog on skiutah.com. It outlines
the deals and pricing for college passes available among the resorts. This post was
asked for by a few of the resorts to help promote sales to the abundance of students
that live along the front. I enjoyed this piece because it was one of my first chances
to write for Ski Utah and it was a topic that is close to home for me since I too am a
student. Getting students out on the weekends and in free time to recreate and enjoy
the amazing terrain around Salt Lake City is an interest of mine because I personally
have enjoyed it so much already. This blog post and its associated media can be
seen here on the College Pass Complex post.

Article 5
October 11, 2013
To Whom it may concern:
As Ben Emerys Internship manager at Ski Utah I would like to report with great
enthusiasm that Bens addition to the team has been tremendous. Tremendous in every
sense of the word. Ben is mature beyond his years and has not been afraid to dive into
any project. Admittedly, Ben joined the Ski Utah team at a challenging timea time in
which we have been furiously working to launch a website. Due to the varying and
unpredictable needs associated with launching a new website Ben has stepped-in and
contributed in anyways possible which will undoubtedly contribute to the success of
SkiUtah.com.
What I have most appreciated about Ben thus far, is his willingness to troubleshoot and
tackle issues on his own.
Im sure that Ben cannot wait for the snow to start falling, and I can assure you that I
couldnt be happier to have him join the Ski Utah family for the remainder of this
semester as well as the upcoming spring semester.
Please dont hesitate to reach out to me with any questions.
Best,
Brandon Ott
Director of Content
801-746-9550

Goals & Objectives

1. Build communication skills in a professional environment (Artifact 5)
a. Interact with local/corporate organizations to facilitate projects
b. Communicate within the office to complete projects in a professional and
timely manner.
2. Strengthen computer skills (Artifact 2)
a. Create professional listings and learn website functions on front and back
end
3. Advance creative skills in media creation such as web content (Artifact 3)
a. Construct unique content structures to drive interest/sales
4. Find a new writing perspective to share information through the blog (Artifact 4)
a. Contribute to media database for use in print/web promotion
b. Contribute at least one blog post per month to be featured on SkiUtah
website
Evaluation of Artifacts in relation to Goals
1. This evaluation from my supervisor, Brandon, was very reinforcing to know
that my efforts to contribute in the workplace have not gone unnoticed. Being
able to use my flexibility and previous knowledge led me to help the team in a
difficult time to help them succeed with the website launch.
2. Creating the manual for blog posting was a minor accomplishment that gave
me confidence in using the website and being able to help others with my
expertise. When the option to teach everyone at once was not available, I was
able to step in and provide guidance when my preferred superiors in the
office were busy with bigger tasks.
3. These listings are the backbone of the website and membership fees drive the
money behind Ski Utah, which makes them very important to have accurately
displayed. The entering of this information was largely reliant on me and I am
very pleased with how they turned out. When prospective businesses want to
buy a listing, they look at these for an idea of how theirs might look on the
site.
4. This was a blog post I contributed and am proud to have on the site. This is
the first time anything I have written has been published on a site where
views can be in the thousands.

Looking back at my goals, I feel I have made significant progress in reaching

them and according to my supervisors evaluations he has noticed this progress as
well. We discussed the fact that communication did not receive a perfect score on
the evaluation because he felt there is always room for improvement but
acknowledged the changes he saw while I have been working at Ski Utah. I have
become more comfortable in public speaking, but have yet to engage in more
opportunities to strengthen this. I will be involved in press trips entertaining
writers among Utahs resorts this spring and look to continue developing these
skills there. I have done less with photography than I had hoped, but have been
heavily involved in the creation and organization of web content in the new website
Ski Utah has created. I came in during the middle of the website launch and have
been a key asset in data entry and debugging the site with help of developers and
co-workers.
I have greatly valued my time at Ski Utah and look forward to another semester
of being involved with marketing the skiing in Utah. As we move farther into winter
and more skiing related projects and events take place, I will have more
opportunities to work on my outlined goals and objectives to reach my full potential
during my time with Ski Utah.
Working with Brandon has taught me to be flexible and to not let minor setbacks
ruin the progress of a larger project. For most of my time over the past 3 months I
have been working strictly on website projects and transferring data from old to
new pages. Through this process there was constantly errors in the design and
structure of the website, causing irregular and sometimes unexplainable problems.
Although these problems were frustrating, we never let them slow the progress of
the new site itself. If I encountered an error in the listings section and wasnt able to

continue, we decided on a new direction with a page that wasnt malfunctioning. It

was difficult to get used to at first because I had to learn how to quickly pick up and
put down projects and be flexible enough to handle the workload. This will be a
crucial skill to know as commitments and responsibilities only increase through my
career, and the consequences for not following through intensify.
The office environment at Ski Utah is very much like that of a sports team.
Everyone has their specialty such as sales, web design, marketing etc. and brings
them together in a way that everyone can learn and depend on each other to finish
projects in a professional manner. The attention to detail and level of quality that
accompanies each project and is sought after by everyone in the office is unmatched
by any previous work environments Ive had. When tensions were high and the
website hit an important date but was still uncompleted, no one turned on each
other or pointed fingers. It was instead a call for the office to rally and pull in
resources to help get the site back on track. This was interesting for me to see as a
new member to the office because I had not already become used to it, therefore it
was very obvious to me. I think it is great to see a group of people who care so much
about skiing and the well being of tourism in Utah come together and make big
things happen for the ski industry. I feel very confident in saying skiing would be
different without Ski Utah and the programs it manages.
As mentioned before, I had wished to do a bit more in the field, hands on work
with photography and design. This goal took a back seat due to the website needing
help getting back on track. I have already made plans to get more experience in this
field next semester as I continue my work at Ski Utah. I hope to build a better
relationship with the president of Ski Utah, Nathan Rafferty, who is very involved in
Utahs ski economy and well known among elites in the ski industry.

I would not define anything in the internship as negative, because every

interaction, whether good or bad, provides overall experiences that can be pulled
from later on. There is always room for learning and improvement on skills so that I
can be the best to my ability as a young professional. I have always been interested
in the ski industry as a career due to my love of winter sports since childhood. I have
held many positions within the industry, from retail to mountain operations, making
Ski Utah another notch on the belt in terms of experience. Ski Utah has provided an
excellent foundation for me to build on as I climb the ladder within the ski industry.
In terms of advice for future students, pick a field of interest and apply early
to make the most of the opportunity. Pick something that might be just out of reach
and work hard to achieve it. When you do finally achieve your goals, dont be
satisfied. Always work harder to impress supervisors and you will quickly climb the
ranks and have more opportunities available to you.